A green card marriage interview may be necessary when a U.S. citizen is marrying a non-citizen. The government uses marriage as one reason to provide green cards. For example, maybe the noncitizen entered the country on a student visa, but it’s going to expire. If they’ve gotten married, they can then get a green card so they can stay in the United States with their new spouse.
If you have to go to an interview to get your green card, you may wonder what the point is and how you should study for this exchange. Do you have to prove that you’re married? What is the government looking for?
It wants to know if the marriage is fraudulent
In short, the government is only trying to determine if your marriage is real. It knows that people will sometimes get married in a fraudulent manner, legally “tying the knot” so that one person can get a green card.
This focus guides the line of questioning. For example, interviewers may ask you about where you met, where you like to go on dates, how you proposed to your spouse or what types of daily habits you have. They don’t necessarily want you to give a right answer or a wrong answer. They just want to see if it seems like you and your spouse know each other and give similar answers in areas where that would be expected. If you both give a very different story for your first date, for instance, that would raise red flags.
You may also want to bring some type of documentation to the interview. For instance, maybe you have mail that you both get at the same address. Maybe you have a shared bank account or you’re both on your home mortgage together. Perhaps you took out credit cards together or purchased life insurance that names the other person as the beneficiary. All these legal documents show that you are involved in some of the traditional ways that married couples are, demonstrating that your marriage is real.
What comes next?
It can be intimidating to face this type of interview, especially because you know how important it is to pass and get that green card. If you have any questions about the process or what steps you need to take, feel free to contact our firm at 859-212-0995.